A police chief has warned that road and rail closures could remain in place for another rush hour this evening as the military work to make an unexploded Second World War bomb safe in Aston.

Birmingham Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Chris Johnson, said he understood the frustrations of residents and commuters, but said an extensive cordon has to remain in place to ensure public safety.

During an interview outside West Midlands Police's emergency control centre, in Edgbaston, Cheif Supt Johnson said up to 200 people had been evacuated from their homes .

He also said he could not estimate when cordons and closures would be lifted, but said people should expect them to remain in place throughout the rest of today.

He said: "The advice we gave yesterday is that it will be in place for the the remainder of today. That's something I'm keeping under constant review, but I think that's good advice and that's the time frame I'm working to at the moment.

"We are dealing with a really old device, in really difficult circumstance where the experts are having to tread through things very carefully.

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WWII bomb found - Aston Expressway shut

Chief Supt Johnson said it was extremely unfortunate that the bomb was discovered where it was because of the proximity to both the A38 and the rail line.

"However, it's also fortunate that it's a mostly industrial area and there are not lots of houses," he said.

"Of course we understand the frustrations of everybody who was evacuated from their homes and everybody who has been disrupted by the road and rail closures.

"We have worked really hard over the last 24 to 36 hours to mitigate some of the issues, but I absolutely acknowledge that spending a night away from home would not have been a great experience. We have done all we can to keep those people informed.

"But this action was a really necessary step to try and put the safety of the public first."

Closed: Aston Expressway on Tuesday morning due to the bomb in Aston

He added: "In terms of people we think there are around 200 people who have been evacuated.

“We continue to work with our partners to provide emergency accommodation and regular updates for those affected. The capacity at the GMAC is 350, so we know we have the capacity

“Army bomb disposal experts have worked throughout the night and continue to work as quickly as possible to bring the situation to a safe conclusion.

"This is a major, delicate operation for which 250 tonnes of sand has been brought onto the site to assist the bomb disposal plans. Trenches have also been dug. Essentially they have created a big bunker that surrounds the bomb itself."

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"They have a number of options on how to deal with the device safely, but that is a matter for the military. It's very difficult to estimate how long this could continue for and I certainly would not want to over promise something.

"We are aiming to get people home as soon as possible.

“It’s important to remember that brave military staff are risking their safety to ensure that of the public."

Police cordon off major routes around Aston.

Andy Street, the new West Midlands Mayor, tweeted about the ongoing situation this afternoon and warned of more misery for drivers.

He wrote: "We are steadily reaching a safe conclusion. However, latest police briefings suggest the delays will continue into the rush hour today."